Sports
Heat concerns lurk as Games announced
National Sports Council on Saturday formally announced the eighth National Games but concerns were raised after it was set for a scorching heat of Nepalgunj — the Mid-West part of the country which is normally hit by heat waves during April.Prajwal Oli
National Sports Council on Saturday formally announced the eighth National Games but concerns were raised after it was set for a scorching heat of Nepalgunj — the Mid-West part of the country which is normally hit by heat waves during April.
The biggest sporting extravaganza of the country is scheduled to be held from April 18-24 at five districts of Province 5. On Saturday, the highest temperature recorded in Nepalgunj - the city which will host the opening and closing ceremony - had reached 37 degree Celsius. “The events of the Games will be held before 10:00 in the morning and after 16:00 in the evening,” NSC Member Secretary Keshab Bista told a press conference promising that the event will not be played if the temperature exceeds 25 degrees.
But, on the contrary, the head of the country’s supreme body of sports said one has to compromise. “We cannot change the temperature and need to compromise,” said Bista. The event, originally scheduled to begin from December 7 last year, was postponed by four months owing to incomplete infrastructures. The construction works of Nepalgunj Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremony is yet to complete but Bista insisted it will get final shape in a matter of a week.
“One part of the Stadium is already ready and the raw material required for to prepare the parapet at other parts will arrive at Birgunj border by Tuesday. We only have to assemble the materials we receive to give shape of a complete parapet. Our Chinese contractor has assured us that it will be ready in less than one week,” reiterated Bista.
Beljhundi, Tulsipur in Dang will host the track and field event but the synthetic track is yet to be laid. According to Bista, NSC was trying to finish laying the track in next 12 days.
“It normally takes around 20 days to finish the entire construction — building the base and laying the track. But our technical team is speeding up the work to finish it in 12 days by working in two shifts. In case, if it does not get ready before the Games, athletics will be shifted to Bardiya,” he added.
Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Kapilvastu and Rupandehi districts will share the 35 sports disciplines. Although the formal opening will be held on April 18, 16 sports disciplines will be completed before it. The biennial event that began on 1981 was held on regular basis only for the first three editions. Since the third edition of 1985, only five editions have been organised in a 33-year period.
A total of 11 teams — seven provinces, Nepal Police Club, Tribhuvan Army Club and Nepal Armed Police Force Club and Non Residential Nepali team — will participate in the event. NSC has already finished the district and provincial selection of all games other than taekwondo at Province 3 and Sudhur Paschim Province. The provincial selection of taekwondo will finish by April 8.
In all 5221 players will participate in the Games including 2825 male and 2386 female for total of 372 gold and silver each along with 563 bronze medals. The gold medallists at individual event will bag purse of Rs 15,000 each and winners of the team event will get Rs 7000 each. NSC will distribute a purse of Rs 13.23 million in prize money and have announced separate cash prize of Rs 25,000 for new national records.
According to Bista, there will be a total investment of Rs 900 million for infrastructure works and they were yet to receive Rs 150 million. Out of the total budget of Rs 430 million needed for the organising part, NSC said it has received Rs 320 million with Rs 110 million yet to be given by the government.
Football, athletics, boxing, weightlifting, table tennis, cricket, lawn tennis, swimming, shooting, volleyball, squash, taekwondo, judo archery, kabbadi, kho kho, wushu, basketball, badminton, cycling, karate, wrestling, fencing, triathlon, paragliding, golf, handball, chess, soft tennis, ITF taekwondo, sepak takraw, gymnastic, body building, full contact karate and hockey are the games included in the event.
Squash and golf will be held in Kathmandu due to unavailability of required infrastructures in the region.